Movie Reviews

SOAP - finally the trial gets resolved! SEASON TWO!

Brett D. Cullum | Houston, TX United States | 06/19/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"SOAP was amazing when it aired, and it still has a lot going for it. The slapstick scenes are impeccable, the comedy is brilliant and sharp, and the heartwrenching scenes are so well done! It's the story of two sisters and their respective families - Jessica Tate and Mary Campbell. In true soap opera form in this second season someone is convicted of murder wrongly, everyone seems to have an affair, several people have near nervous breakdowns, somebody gets kidnapped by aliens, impossible love rears its head several times, and somebody forgets who they are! This doesn't even BEGIN to cover all that happens! SOAP moved at lightning speed doing what most soap operas take years to develop. I watched it back in the days it was on, and I was afraid it would not hold up well. Guess what? It does! SOAP was funny because of the characters not topical discussions. Sure there are plenty of 70s touches - the costumes, the way the show looks, but it's still funny and moving. The ensemble was unbeatable! The DVD gives you 23 episodes spread out over 3 discs. You also get an unaried PILOT, and a featurette with the creators. It was the FIRST show to have a content warning before it aired, the first show with an openly gay character (Billy Crystal as Jody Dallas), and it's soooooo irreverant and politcally incorrect! Black jokes, gay jokes, veteran jokes, talk about orgasms, talk about infidelity, talk about impotence, mental health issues, hookers, politicians -- I could go on and on with the tabboos this show broke! It seems a little less sensational here in 2004, but it's still something special. Too bad they didn't put more on the discs - COMMENTARY FOR SEASON 3 PLEASE!, but the show itself is well worth the price! Is the picture quality poor? Not too bad but you do see some flaws, but that may be because of the way networks taped shows back then. SOAP was never high on production values, just high on its own giddy satire! Like video laughing gas!"

The best SOAP season FINALLY on DVD!

A. Gammill | West Point, MS United States | 07/22/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Most Soap fans will probably agree that the show's second season ranks as its best. Not only do we get the full cast returning from season one, but there's John Byner as lovestruck Detective Donahue, and Donnely Rhodes as Chester's partner-in-crime, Dutch. Billy Tate finally gets a chance to shine. And Chuck and Bob's "mindreading" act has to be one of the most inspired bits of nonsense ever dreamed up by the writers in 4 years of...well, inspired nonsense.

But...I don't want to give away too much. You just have to see for yourself the sidesplitting, often absurb moments...and the occasional heart-tugging ones. Robert Guillame picked up an Emmy. But my favorite actor, and character, is still Richard Mulligan's Burt Campbell.

Confused? You won't be, after watching the 20-minute featurette, "Creators Come Clean." Witness Soap creators Susan Harris, Tony Thomas, and the impossibly chatty Paul Witt wax nostalgic about casting the landmark sitcom. My only complaint about this welcome insight into the show is that NONE of the actors appear to offer comments. Still, you may recall that Season One had absolutely NO supplemental features, so it's still a welcome treat.

"The second season of SOAP picks up the story right after the cliffhanger ending of season one. Jessica Tate (Katherine Helmond) has been convicted of murdering Peter, and now is about to be sent to prison. But as we know, she is innocent. Her husband Chester (Robert Mandan) confesses his guilt and Jessica is a free woman.

This season has many many plots going at once (much more than season one which mainly focused on establishing the relationships and the dominating storyline of Peter's murder and the subsequent trial).

Chester's incarceration and escape from prison sets up the main story for season two. He hides out in the Tate cellar with fellow escapee Dutch (Donnelly Rhodes) who later becomes the unlikely love interest of Eunice (Jennifer Salt). Corrine's (Diana Canova) marriage to `fallen priest' Timothy Flotski ( Sal Viscuso) and Danny's (Ted Wass) marriage to Mob boss' daughter Elaine (Dinah Manoff) are the 2 big weddings of the season.

A dissatisfied Mary (Cathryn Damon) goes back to college, which sets up her marriage to Burt (Richard Mulligan) to have a complete breakdown. After he finds her in a compromising position with her teacher, he gets drunk and spends the night with secretary Sally (Caroline McWilliams), who is actually being blackmailed by the one and only Ingrid (Inga Swenson)!

Confused? That's the idea! SOAP is a complete send-up of the convuluted plots and subplots of soap-operas.

Other choice moments, like Corrine's baby from hell and Elaine's kidnapping, only add to the zaniness and sheer genius that Susan Harris created in SOAP, which can be hilariously funny and yet deeply moving. By this time we have really come to care about these characters. SOAP does indeed walk the line between comedy and drama, which is why the show is still timeless and recommended viewing. And of course there's the trademark season cliffhanger (Burt being abducted by aliens!).

Unlike the bare-bones release of season one, the second set of SOAP contains interviews with Susan Harris as well as the other producers, and an `encore presentation' of the first episode.

Roll on Season Three!"

The funniest series ever

A. J. Hogan | Merseyside UK | 10/04/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Soap is being repeated on cable, Paramount in the UK Sept 04 and is as hilarious as ever, great scripts, great actors, hilarious situations and laugh out loud one-liners. All my family from ages 12 upwards love it and empathise with the characters.

Seeing it again has prompted me to buy the DVD's and hope that the other series are released as soon as possible.

Todays script writers of soaps should look to attain this standard of writing"